This invention relates to new hair fixative compositions and to improved methods of providing curl retention to hair in which there is employed as the film forming ingredient certain prehydrolyzed organofunctional silanes.
Fixatives are designed to provide a temporary setting effect or curl to the hair, and while the most common fixative is a hair spray which is designed to be applied to the hair after the hair has been blow dried, several specialty type fixatives can be applied either after the hair is towel dried or to dry hair, in order to provide more body and volume to the hair, and to aid in styling, modeling, and sculpting of the hair into unique new looks. This is followed by application of a hair spray in the form of an aerosol or pump spray to maintain the shape and style of the hair and provide gloss and sheen to the hair, in addition to a well groomed and natural appearance. Such specialty type fixatives are marketed under various names including styling gels, styling cremes, styling mousses, styling foams, styling sprays, styling spritz, styling mists, styling glazes, styling fixes; sculpting lotions, sculpting gels, sculpting glazes, sculpting sprays; glossing gels, glossing spritz; shaping gels; forming mousses; modeling spritz; finishing spritz; fixing gels; and setting lotions.
Whether the fixative is the more common hair spray or a specialty type fixative, it will typically include a film forming additive as the hair holding agent. The film forming additive should provide hair holding properties and curl retention, little flaking or powder on combing, rapid curing or drying on hair, nonstickiness, and be easily removable by shampooing. Film forming additives are delivered by a solvent which is usually an alcohol such as ethanol or a mixture of an alcohol and water. In the case of aerosol formulations such as hairsprays and mousses, a propellant such as isobutane, butane, propane or dimethyl ether is an added part of the delivery system.
Examples of currently used film forming agents are shellac, polyvinylpyrrolidone-ethyl methacrylate-methacrylic acid terpolymer, vinyl acetate-crotonic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate-crotonic acid-vinyl neodeconate terpolymer, poly(vinylpyrrolidone-ethylmethacrylate methacrylic acid copolymer, vinyl methyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymer, octylacrylamide-acrylate-butylaminoethyl-methacrylate copolymer, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) copolymer and derivatives. These particular polymers are most suitable for alcohol based formulations such as hair sprays and pumps, and are sometimes used in water-based hair fixative products.
Such resins contain carboxyl groups which must be neutralized to some degree to provide compatibility with water to fascillitate removal by shampooing and to increase the flexibility of the film. However, the greater the extent of neutralization, the less resistant the film is to high humidity. Therefore, although these resins can be rendered water soluble by neutralization, water-based fixative systems are not practical because of poor hold.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone and certain quaternary ammonium compounds, most notably Polyquaternium-11 (an adopted name of the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association) are film forming additives used in completely water based fixative systems such as gels and mousses. However, these water soluble resins form films which are not resistant to high humidity. In fact, these polymers tend to be hygroscopic to the extent that exposure to high humidity actually softens and plasticizes the films through water absorption. Thus, a need exists for a fixative resin which is (i) completely water soluble without neutralization and provides high humidity resistance when applied from aqueous solutions, (ii) compatible with hydrocarbon propellants, and (iii) can be used in all the possible solvent systems for this application.
In accordance with the present invention, a new hair fixative formulation is provided which includes an organosilicon film forming material. Specifically, the organosilicon film forming material is an organofunctional silane hydrolyzate. It is not new in the art to employ organosilicon compounds in hair fixative compositions. Nor is it new in the art to use silane type materials in hair fixatives. For example, organosilanes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,790, issued Feb. 26, 1957; U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,763, issued Aug. 17, 1982; and in European Patent Application 85104416.4, published Oct. 30, 1985, under Publication No. 0 159 628 A2. While these references disclose various hair treating, hair setting, and hair waving methods which employ silanes, none of the prior art teaches the use of the particular pre-hydrolyzed, organofunctional silane having silsesquioxane characteristic as disclosed herein.
In contract to the organic film forming additives, the compositions of the present invention provide high humidity resistance from water, as well as ethanol-water solubility without neutralization. The polar functionality and the dispersability of the organosilicon materials permits the formation of solutions, emulsions, microemulsions, or suspensions in water. The silane hydrolyzates can also be delivered as aerosol solvents, or in volatile silicones, mineral oil, or other non-volatile hydrocarbons. This range of solubility is made possible by the chain flexibility of the molecule and by incorporating varying levels of organofunctionality. Other advantages include nonirritability, excellent shampoo removability, good sheen, low buildup, lack of tackiness, and reduced flaking.